14 DAY TRIAL // Their relationship generated more media and gave way to more criticism than most other showbiz hookups, mostly because it presumably started when he was still married. Then, Mel Gibson and Russian girlfriend and protégée announced they were expecting their first child together. Five mother later, the two are going their separate ways, says People magazine.
Exactly one year ago, Gibson’s wife of many years (30, to be more accurate), Robin, filed for divorce from the actor and director, citing irreconcilable differences for the split. Shortly before this got out in the media, Mel had been spotted with a “mystery brunette,” who turned out to be Oksana after the divorce was confirmed. A few months later, she was pregnant with his child, while talk of an upcoming wedding was taking over the tabs, and Oksana herself continued to deny she was more than just a rebound girl for the megastar.
“Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva, his Russian musician-singer girlfriend and mother of their 5-month-old daughter, have split after over a year of dating, a source tells People. ‘They just drifted apart,’ says a close friend of the couple of the amicable split. ‘They’re both working hard on their careers and trying to raise a sweet baby together. They’re still friends and they’ll both raise Lucia together’,” People magazine says, citing an unnamed source close to the (former) couple.
“Gibson is in Mexico filming How I Spent My Summer Vacation, and Grigorieva is working on her music. Next week, she has plans to perform a charity concert in Russia to benefit ‘Grant Life,’ a foundation to help children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. In addition to Lucia, who was born on October 30, 2009, Gibson, 54, has seven children (six sons and a daughter) with his estranged wife Robyn, while Grigorieva has a son, Alexander, with her former boyfriend, actor Timothy Dalton,” People further says.
The magazine tried to contact Mel Gibson for a comment on the reported split but came up empty handed, for his rep was not immediately available. However, given the star’s past experience with representatives of the media, chances are he will not be confirming or denying the above anytime soon.